Soul Surfer Rotation 4

Title: Soul Surfer

Author: Bethany Hamilton

Pages: 264 (finished the book)

Genre: Biography 

I am reading the novel soul surfer by Bethany Hamilton. The questions for this rotation are:

1.       As I prepare to enter HS, how can I live my own life in a better way to fulfill the life goals I have for myself?

I think I just have to be more organized and prepare myself better not just talking about work but also my life itself. Balance is the hardest goal I think that I could possibly have. So first I need to lay out my work so not leaving it all to the last day and instead spreading to all out so I don’t stress. Stressing is one of my biggest weaknesses. It is something that I cannot control I stress over the smallest things. Also to have a better life for high school I need to defiantly sleep more. First if I don’t sleep the next day I am a person you should not bother, second I cannot thing straight when I am working. So eating healthy, spreading out my work, exercising, and lots of sleep, then I think I can handle high school.

2.       What is one MORE unique thing you have discovered about your figure?

One of the things I find very interesting about Bethany Hamilton is very in touch with God, nobody made her believe in him it was her choice and she chose to. Her parents became Christians a little after they got married, because they had many friends who were Christian and were interested. Bethany and her family go to the North Shore Community Church. Sarah Hill and Try Maila are two people that lead the short Bible study. Bethany is very close to Sarah and even though there is an age difference she counts Sarah as her friend, and she trusts her. ‘There are a lot of people who have a deep faith in God and they wanted to encourage me because I was outspoken about my faith’ (Hamilton 108).

3.       Describe your figure’s mentors and special training?

After Bethany’s attack and when she started to surf again she trained very hard. She did a lot of exercise, with her trainer. She realized that a healthy diet really affects how you surf, and that eating healthy gives you a lot of energy. Bethany’s mentors are her mum and dad. Before a surf contest she will sit down with her dad and they will discuss the waves that day and what her approach should be. Whereas her mum is the one who will give her the spiritual side, saying to just feel the waves and that she will know what to do.

I have already finished the book but I will talk about Chapter 13 which is called, Back in the Waves. ‘Imagine the one thing you love to do the most. Now imagine, out of nowhere, something happens and you realize you may never be able to do it again’ (Hamilton 123). For a while Bethany doubted that she would not surf again. Her whole family stood behind her and encouraged her as much as possible though. Her dad is a great coach, gives her good pep talks, would hear his words echoing every time she got on the board. Bethany set a deadline for herself to get back into the water, her deadline was Thanksgiving. There were some girls from the Hanalei Surf Company girls team going surfing and Bethany could not help herself, she had to go in the water. She decided to use a long board since is much easier to catch a wave with and is much more stable.  ‘You can do it, you can paddle and get up with one arm’ but another voice said, ‘Forget it. You’re going to fail’ but she forgot that voice and headed to the water.

Her brother Noah filmed her with his camera. Her whole family and of course Alana and some other friends were all there cheering her on. She said it felt good to step into the water and feel the salty air. ‘I was not afraid of being attacked by a shark. I didn’t even think about it. My whole mind was concentrated on catching a wave and getting up on my feet. After that, what to do next would come naturally’ (Hamilton 126).  First couple of tries didn’t work and she was a little discouraged but her dad was in the water shouting for her to try one more time, and it happened. ‘It’s hard for me to describe the joy I felt after I stood up and rode a wave for the first time after the attack’ (Hamilton 127).Everyone was cheering her on, She could not duck dive but they came up with an idea to put a hand strap on the top center of the board so she could grab hold of it when she would push the board under the water. ‘God is watching out for me, and while I don’t want to do something stupid like paddling out where someone had just seen a shark, in the end, I trust Him to take care of me’ (Hamilton 128). She ran on the beaches, swam laps, lifted dumbbells, stretches, stomach crunches. She has a coach from Australia, Russell Lewis who has trained many other world champs.

This is a picture of Bethany with two girls who had a wish to surf with her, from the make a wish foundation.Two girls Lauren and Katherine both had chronic illnesses, Lauren had chronic adhesive arachnoiditis, and Katie had cystic fibrosis and their wish was forBethany wa to teach them surfing.  They flew them to Hawaii with their families,  Bethany felt good to put a smile on their faces. 

·         It’s just terrible to have a bad illness at young age, they are just normal great kids and its wrong that they have to deal with that.